The present invention relates to a vehicle interior trim component and a method for manufacturing the same, and is particularly related to a vehicle interior trim component with a groove portion and a method for manufacturing the same.
A vehicle interior trim component, such as a door trim of an automobile obtained by covering a substrate with a trim member, is known. This type of vehicle interior trim component is covered with a trim member so as to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance in the passenger compartment.
If the trim members are disposed in two adjacent areas, this provides a non-monotonous/varied impression and its appearance is improved. In addition, if different trim members were disposed in the two adjacent areas respectively, this would further improve its appearance.
For providing such a vehicle interior trim component, a plurality of substrates 110 have been used as shown in FIG. 15. Each substrate 110 is mounted with a trim member 120 respectively, and these substrates 110 are assembled into a trim component.
According to this conventional art, the vehicle interior trim component, such as a door trim, appears luxurious and varied.
However, since the decorated area of such a vehicle interior trim component consists of the two separate members, these members can be easily separated from each other by a gap. The gap detracts from an appearance of a finished vehicle interior trim component.
A method for manufacturing a vehicle interior trim component to overcome this disadvantage is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-156875. According to this conventional method, a cover material comprises two areas with different colors. At the boundary between the two areas, a notch which does not allow the two areas to separate from each other is made. Then, the cover material is applied onto a die so that the notch is positioned on a ridge of the die, and a substrate is heated and softened so that the cover material and the substrate are integrally molded.
According to this disclosure, since the edge of the ridge is thin enough, a groove between the two areas becomes narrow. Since the boundary between the two areas with different colors can be inserted in the narrow groove, the manufactured vehicle interior trim component can be decorated by a two-tone cover material and can provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
However, this method requires a step of making a notch in the cover material with a die having a knife-state blade. Therefore, this method requires reequipping of its manufacturing line and this leads to higher costs. Moreover, since the notch needs to be precisely positioned on the ridge of the die when applying the cover material onto the die, this takes additional labor.
A need therefore exists to provide a vehicle interior trim component with trim members in a plurality of adjacent areas divided by grooves, which provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Moreover, a need exists to provide a method for manufacturing a vehicle interior trim component with trim members in a plurality of adjacent areas divided by grooves, in which the vehicle interior trim component can be produced in a simple and cost effective manner, and in which the resulting vehicle interior trim component provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance.